The rest of the Story

[Greg]

Question...what is the possibility? This was the second time I had fallen asleap on watch. During the second NJP. Can't remember if it was Master Cheif of the Boat or Ex-O that asked if I had a sleeping disorder? I was unaware of any sleeping disorder and it was left at that. Now I wonder if the fatigue I was battling was the first sx of MS. This was never documented in med records but IS in service record. Only odd sx in med records is I was on the Uss Tarawa LHA-1 and I was noticing problems in my ankles with tension and pain. Corpsman just said it was problably a degenerative ankle from going up and down the service ramps between the welldeck, hanger bay, and flight decks.

While in Boot Camp SDRTC. The recruite crud turned into phneumonia. I had the extreeme pleasure of going through DC week, for non Navy this is when you do the gas and smoke chambers, with full blown phneumonia. Woo Hoo. Ever since I have battled the fatigue.

SO the two ?'s going through my mind our...

If I do (hope not fingures crossed) have MS can they really tell by MRI how old the lesions really are? And how likely could fatigue be the only noticeble sx for 15 years?

Sorry for how long it took to get to the point, but thought the background info was needed for educated responses.

[WACVet]

Greg, are you service connected for the MS? If not, submit a claim, not only stating what you've already posted here (not the questions, just the facts), but I would suggest printing out information on MS concerning fatigue, and spasticity to correspond to your complaints in-service. Benefit of doubt MUST be weighed in favor of the Veteran. Presumption of service for MS is 7 years, and you may well have evidence in-service.

If, you are service-connected and are just asking questions to settle things in your mind..... MRI can not tell age of lesion in years. It can tell if you have active lesions, etc.

I just realized you asked "if" you have MS, so keep the above information in mind when/if you are diagnosed.... best of luck to you comrade!

[Greg]

Thank you WAC VET. I am mainly just trying to think of what, when, or how all this could have started. After doing alot of reading the only three things I can think of that could have been the "trigger" this would be..... possibly toxins breathed in as a fire sprinklerfitter piping plastic pipe in houses the glue for that is highly toxic. The only other possibilities I can think of is the phnamonia in boot camp or I remember when being discharged the VA rep at the exit class mentioned expeiramental vaccines used during that time.

Right now I am still just trying to wrap my mind around everything.

Sorry if I confused anyone becuase the first half of the story is in the Muster and Intro thread.

[WACVet]

Greg, I think most of us try to figure it all out! I've been out of the service since 76, and tonight I just remembered something that happened in 75, that may have been an early symptom. For me, weird things started happening after I was hospitalized for what they said was Rubella, but the Capt that was in charge of the Lab, told me my blood tests did not come back as me having Rubella! I don't know if we'll ever know the "why/how", but it won't stop us from trying to figure it out.

I can tell you, from experience, that it will be a relief to you to find out what your diagnosis is!